Friday, March 25, 2011

(Documented some naming brilliance from the town council in Savusavu, Fiji)

So after a stagnant year of too much work and little else, things have started a moving 'n' shaking.

For a number of months I have been meeting with a group of other AUT graduates in the hope of setting up a studio and artist run space together. After much jumping through hoops with trying to find a space and a sixth member, we finally have both thanks to Gemma and Lisa's efforts. The signing of the lease for the space on Karangahape Road is in it's final stages and we can now turn our attention to practicalities - painting, desks, lighting etc.

I have already started thinking about potential combinations for group shows - am getting a bit ahead of myself whoopsie. We want the space to function not as a exercise of self-promotion but rather an opportunity to turn our hand at the differing roles of practicing outside the institution and a space that is accesible to recent graduates and students.

The thing that is stumping us all at this point is a name. So many impressions can be taken from word association and what you choose to work under. There's the route of going with something simple and related to the location or what we want it to function as, and there is always going with terms that are unrelated and seemingly random ala Blue Oyster or Gambia Castle; both have their pros and cons. Nothing seems to fit yet, flicking through dictionaries has even been attempted. Jeepers it's kind of like naming a child no one wants it to be burdoned with a stupid name that it will be stuck with for the rest of its life before it becomes bitter and changes its name by deed poll. Sigh.

We are waiting for inspiration to strike, but I have a feeling that we will actually have to be in the space before we can decide on what fits.

Hello

Story goes that Agnes started a blog on the advice of the late great Julian Dashper then got lonely and wrangled her fellow studio procrastinator, Claudia, in to help her hold the fort on the New Zealand side of the Tasman while she brain-drained over to Australia for more study. Meanwhile, her partner-in-crime attempts to break free from the clutches of the institution (aka. find a job). Thus continues this blog, a document of the coming trials and tribulations experienced after the familiarity of AUT's WM block is gone.

About Me

One day Agnes and Elliot were sitting in front of the macs in studio with Julian Dashper, looking at various art sites and blogs and Julian Dashper said, "hey why don't you guys start up a painting blog?" and we said, "hmm dunno might be a bit of work..." and he said, "come on it'll be fun", and we said, "oh alright then" and he said, "so you'll have it up by the next time i come in?" (as Julian Dashper only comes in every two weeks on a friday) and then Agnes said, "ok", so here it is.